6

Jack entered the new Torchwood building with his usual swagger, his VM opening doors with ease as he flung over his shoulder "Welcome to Torchwood Tiger."

Ianto followed more sedately and took a moment to pause and look at the pictures on the wall of the fallen comrades in arms. Toshiko and Owen a given. The others… he frowned as he stared and that whisper in the back of his mind started to list the names before he turned away to dismiss it. Doesn't mater. The past, right? His own picture was… freaky.

He entered the room Jack had gone into and found Jack in there talking to Gwen and another woman, the screen they were standing in front of full of dead bodies. Another serial killer from outer space. Great.

Ianto stood back looking at them as he tried to remember a file or two that might help, the little revolving T at the bottom of the screen comforting as he now knew Toshiko's Mainframe was still there like the lifeblood of the place.

"Nice waistcoat" a voice said close to him and he turned his head to find a black man reaching out to flick the chain of his pocket watch, poking at Ianto and waking the anger that bubbled up making Ianto snarl as he attacked.

Jack swung at the sound and stood gaping as Ianto deftly seized Rex by the wrist and heaved him up into the air, slow roll through the air and the little squeal of horror as he hit the ground was so satisfying that Jack started to laugh, unable to help Gwen's meltdown as Ianto Windy-Woo Jones then seized Rex by his shirt front, lifting him bodily into the air again and with a roar of rage he slammed him down on a desk, the things on there scattering around.

"Don't fucking touch me Matheson!" Ianto roared into his face "Being immortal does not make you smart I see!"

"Whoa… easy Ianto" Jack remembered to move forward as he spoke, his hands out to soothe the wild animal still holding Rex down "He's a twat but he is OUR twat. Like Owen but without the redeeming qualities."

Ianto snarled into Rex's face "I shot Owen."

"Ianto?" Jack stopped crouching and stood upright as he saw something that was Not-Ianto going on "Is this… is this a Windy-Woo thing?"

Ianto glanced at him and released the man who lay there prone, his arms out like an offering "Yes. I am protective of what is mine. You are mine. He is not nice and I see him as a potential threat. Besides… he smells funny."

"Does he?" Jack asked with surprise.

"Wrong"

"Well… Rex was recovering from a gunshot wound when he took my blood and became immortal during the shift. His resets take him back to when he was still in the final stages of healing from the gunshot wound so… maybe it's that you smell? Rex, when did you last rebirth?"

"Last night, and yes… each time I come back with my shoulder healing all over again" Rex agreed as he rolled off the desk to step away from the wild thing "Hurts like a bastard."

"Then call that my revenge for being a prick" Jack smiled, motioning Ianto over "Ianto, come say hi to Gwen. And this is her daughter Anwen over here hiding behind the desk."

Ianto's change was instant, "Oh no. A chickie? I was… oh sweetling, I am so sorry if I scared you."

The man rushing to croon and cajole the child out, his face full of affection and remorse, made Gwen blink slowly as if trying to wake from a dream. He gasped "Oh look. She is adorable. Awwwwww, come to Uncle Ianto… come here Baban."

The little girl gave in, shooting out to find a cuddle waiting as Ianto gushed over her "Like her mama… but I see daddy's eyes… awww. Rhys must spoil you rotten, if not tell me and I will make him. Yahhhhh"

Jack smiled and turned to Gwen "Before you ask… no. It's not Ianto. He is … an artificial being grown with Ianto's DNA to be a replica. He is not exactly the same, has a few differences… as you just saw with Rex. But he IS my Ianto. OK? He was born with all the thoughts and memories of the DNA donor. Ianto."

"Hmmmm?"

Jack smiled as Ianto looked over at him at the mention of his name "Ianto, tell Gwen your favorite colour."

"Oh. Rainbow" Ianto answered without a second thought. "I love rainbows. So pretty."

"Ianto loved red" Jack said.

"No, you loved him in red, there is a difference. He actually liked pink and purple" Ianto corrected gently "But for you… he would have worn anything that made him feel like you were not straying too far."

"Ouch" Jack grimaced as Rex started to laugh, a laugh that faded as Ianto swung to glare at him once more.

"OK… so if he is another form of Ianto… how does he know Rex?" Gwen asked. "He hates him almost as much as you!"

Jack stalled out, then recovered "TARDIS probably told him. She had extensive libraries on history and stuff, keeps most of it to herself… spoilers ya know… but I bet she told Ianto. Right?"

Ianto did not answer, just shrugged and said "Windy-Woo Timey-Wimey bullshit. Do you really want the talk about the length of string needed to measure the distance to the stars? I can't abide the waffling."

"OK" Gwen agreed "That's a Ianto."